Norway expels Sudan diplomat accused of spying on refugees

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expelled a Sudanese diplomat it suspected of spying on refugees from the African country in Norway.

The diplomat, who was not named, had received information from a 38-year old Sudanese man arrested earlier on Tuesday for espionage, the Norwegian Police Security Service said.

The charge d'affair at Sudan's embassy had visited the Foreign Ministry for a meeting on the subject, said Kjetil Elsebutangen, a ministry spokesman.

"He was told that we consider the diplomat's activities incompatible with his status as a diplomat under the protection of the Vienna convention and (that the diplomat) is therefore asked to leave the country," he said.

Even though the ministry had not formally designated the diplomat a persona non grata, it expected the individual to leave Norway, Elsebutangen said.

The Sudanese ambassador in Norway, Onoor Ahmed, denied his country was involved in spying on refugees, national broadcaster NRK reported.